Welcome To The Shire Of Narrogin

The Shire of Narrogin is a local government situated in the South West of Western Australia. It includes the localities of Highbury, Yilliminning, Boundain, Dumberning, Hillside, Minigin, Narrogin Valley and Nomans Lake.

It was the coming of the railway to Narrogin in 1889 that prompted settlers in the area to break away from the huge Williams Roads Board District. Michael Brown and John Chipper resigned from the Williams Board and became foundation members of the new Narrogin Roads Board which was gazetted on 18th May, 1892. Its first task was to sink a public well just north of the present Shire building.

The board held its early meetings in the Hordern Hotel and later in the new Agricultural Hall. However, in April 1905, a motion was carried to build an office “at a cost of not more that 200 pounds”. Within two months Mr George Lavater was appointed architect and the tender of Mr Joseph Wild for £239/17/- was accepted. The November meeting of 1905 was held in the new office.

Originally the building comprised a central entry hall and two large rooms. In 1926, in order to increase the Roads Board’s revenue, additions consisting of a shop and tea rooms, each with living quarters above, were made at either end of the building. The rooms above the corner shop were for many years the accommodation of the Secretary of the Roads Board.

In 1961 the Narrogin Roads Board became the Narrogin Shire Council and it was at about this time that the Council Chamber was relocated upstairs and an internal staircase constructed giving access from the office below. The cantilevered awnings were also added at this time.

Today the building presents quite a different appearance from the original Roads Board Office, a single storey building whose stone façade, topped with a central rounded pediment and corner urns, signalled its importance as a public building. These ornaments were removed when the later additions were made, but the new buildings did incorporate the arched doorways and windows, decorative string courses and friezes of the original building to present a unified whole.